How to respond to unreasonable people

Some people are unreasonable. They try and cajole, manipulate, or at worst, threaten you.

“If you do that, then I’m leaving.” They say.

“If you change that, then I’m taking my business elsewhere.” They write on your Facebook wall.

You know the script?

Most of us learnt as kids that we can’t always have the food we want because family mealtimes are about the family, not just about us. Or the seat in the car we wanted, or the big gift at Christmas. Our Mum or Dad told us how things worked in families, that some decisions are bigger than us. Some decisions transcend our tiny little bit of the planet; as we grow and mature, we realise this, hopefully.

But some people don’t mature with age; they remain rigid and inflexible. They remain unaware of themselves. How do we respond to them in business? We acknowledge their threat but don’t accept it.

“It would be a shame if you felt you had to leave.”

“I would be sorry to lose your business.”

If a staff member threatens to leave as an act of manipulation, irrespective of their role, take their resignation graciously, immediately, and, if possible, get it in writing.

If a client threatens to leave, acknowledge their concern and let them know the door is always open if they ever want to come back.

The last thing we should do is give in to threats; if you do it once, they will do it again.